Written Answers Tuesday 28 August 2007

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to providing financial support to allow the current apprenticeship scheme at the Ministry of Defence base in Beith to continue when the present scheme ends in August 2007.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about the continued training arrangements for those young people currently on the apprenticeship scheme at the MoD’s Beith base, scheduled to cease this month.

Fiona Hyslop: The funding of the modern apprenticeship (MAs) programme in Scotland is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The programme is demand led and is reliant on the willingness of employers to recruit, employ and support MAs for the duration of their training. Although the MoD have decided not to recruit any new MAs I understand that Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire have assured the MoD that their existing MAs will continue to be funded for the duration of their training.

Carers

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding it plans to enhance services to support young carers.

Shona Robison: I announced on 14 June 2007 an additional £200,000 over the next two years to establish a young carer forum to help give young carers a greater voice in Scottish public life. Decisions about future funding will be taken in the spending review later this year.

Civil Service Relocation

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider relocating some of the departments for which it has responsibility to North Ayrshire and, if so, which departments and when a decision will be taken.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to relocating civil service jobs to Clydebank.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers are committed to a relocation policy that promotes the relocation of civil service jobs to areas that have high levels of deprivation.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will be appropriate to make an announcement concerning the future arrangements for the relocation of civil service jobs.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether previously agreed criteria for the relocation of civil service jobs, endorsed by the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee, are still being applied.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there should be a presumption that organisations newly established by it or Scottish Parliament should normally be located in areas that have high levels of deprivation.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-2952 on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Civil Service Relocation

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the recommendation of the Finance Committee in its 6th Report, 2004 (Session 2) - Relocation of Public Sector Jobs to instruct each department, agency or non-departmental public body that has not been through a relocation in the past five years to prepare a report on the viability of large scale relocation, or decentralisation though the relocation of small units.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-2952 on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  In advance of making the statement referred to in this answer, it is premature to comment on specific issues.

Drug Misuse

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many heroin addicts there are (a) known and (b) estimated to have been in each year since 1970.

Fergus Ewing: (a) The number of known heroin addicts since 1970 is not held centrally.

  (b) Estimates of the prevalence of problematic opiate and/or benzodiazepine misuse in Scotland were carried out for 2000 and 2003. Table 1 shows the estimated numbers across Scotland and the 95% confidence interval.

  Table 1. Estimated Numbers of Problem Drug Users (Opiates and/or Benzodiazepines): Scotland 2000 and 2003

  

 
2000
2003


Scotland point estimate
(95 % confidence range)
55,800(43,664 – 78,443)
51,582(51,456 – 56,379)



  Source: Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Misuse in Scotland, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/local/prevreport2004.pdf.

Drug Misuse

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of illegal drugs has been seized in each year since 1970, broken down by class and type of substance.

Fergus Ewing: The information requested is given in tables 5 to 7 of Drug Seizures by Scottish Police Forces, 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 published by the Scottish Executive in January 2007, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42386). http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/02/09094216/0

  These data are only available from financial year 1995-96.

Drug Misuse

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals it estimates are involved in the supply of illegal drugs.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Executive does not hold estimates of how many individuals are involved in the supply of illegal drugs.

Emergency Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to rapid response teams responding to emergency calls from home, given that many people live in residential areas with 30mph speed limits.

Kenny MacAskill: None. This is an operational matter for individual chief constables, chief fire officers and the ambulance service.

Enterprise

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the structure, organisation or funding of the local enterprise company network within Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Jim Mather: Our prime objective is to increase the rate of Scottish economic growth and to ensure that this is sustainable. Consideration of the delivery of local economic development activity is now underway as part of the wider work on refocusing the enterprise networks. The results of this work once completed will be announced in due course.

Enterprise

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Enterprise about the local enterprise company structure.

Jim Mather: The Executive is engaged in regular and on-going discussions with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise as part of the work to refocus the enterprise networks, which includes consideration of the delivery of local economic development activity.

Enterprise

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Highland Council about the transfer of local enterprise company functions.

Jim Mather: None.

Enterprise

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes to the current responsibilities of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are planned and whether any of its current responsibilities will (a) cease or (b) be reallocated to any other body in the public, private or third sector including Scottish Enterprise or the local authorities within the HIE area.

Jim Mather: Our prime objective is to increase the rate of Scottish economic growth and to ensure that this is sustainable. As a component part of this we want to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of economic development activity and we are looking at how the enterprise networks, including Highlands and Islands Enterprise, can contribute to that. The results of this work once completed will be announced in due course.

Enterprise

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a statement on any planned changes to the current responsibilities of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Jim Mather: Work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of economic development activity, and the enterprise networks’ contribution to that, is well underway. The results of this work once completed will be announced to Parliament in due course.

Enterprise

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the current effectiveness of the local enterprise company network within the Highlands and Islands Enterprise area.

Jim Mather: Highlands and Islands Enterprise monitors its performance, and the performance of the local enterprise company network within that, on an annual basis against a set of targets agreed with the Executive. These targets are published in its annual Operating Plans and monitored by the Executive during the reporting year to ensure that appropriate progress is being made. Highlands and Islands Enterprise reports on its performance against these targets in its annual report.

Finance

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any circumstances in which it is competent for it to commit money and other resources to issues that are ultra vires and, if so, whether it will list these circumstances.

John Swinney: Scottish ministers should not knowingly incur any unlawful expenditure. The Scottish Public Finance Manual provides details of the circumstances under which the Scottish Executive may undertake expenditure without the authority of a Budget Act.

Finance

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken if it commits resources to action deemed to be ultra vires.

John Swinney: Any resources committed which are deemed to be ultra vires should be recovered.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-429 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 June 2007, whether it will reduce the fee associated with lodging small claims, raise the threshold and publish its overall plans for reforming small claims procedure.

Kenny MacAskill: I expect Lord Gill’s Review of the civil court system, in which he is looking at court structures and jurisdictions to consider the issues raised. The Gill Review was set up in February 2007 and is planning to report by May 2009.

  As I have said previously, I am considering the issue of jurisdiction limits (including that relating to small claims) and will make an announcement in due course.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many court cases involving bank charges there have been in each of the last four years.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length is of court cases involving bank charges.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue licensing boards with guidance under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 on the procedures for members of the public to make objections and representations about the granting of a licence to existing premises during the transitional period.

Kenny MacAskill: Statutory guidance for licensing boards prepared under section 142 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 was approved by Parliament on 7 March 2007 and issued to boards on 4 April 2007. This will be revised later this year to take account of the various regulations being made under the act.

  The Scottish Government is currently developing further guidance in the form of an explanatory leaflet for members of the public, the licensed trade and Licensing Boards on the procedure for making objections and representations under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. This will apply both to applications for new licences, and those existing licences being transferred over to the new system during the transition period. This will be made available for the transition period which begins on 1 February 2008.

Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to have issued all guidance and procedures to licensing boards in relation to the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Parliament approved the first draft guidance for Licensing Boards prepared under section 142 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 on 7 March 2007. The guidance was issued to boards on 4 April 2007 and is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/175487/0049459.pdf .

  Revised guidance will be prepared later in the year to take account of the various regulations being made under the act.

  The Scottish Executive is currently developing secondary legislation setting out a range of procedural matters for boards relating to the administration of the application process for licences under the act. These regulations will be laid before Parliament for approval when Parliament resumes in September.

Mental Health

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people benefited from mental health specific grants in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005 and (d) 2006.

Shona Robison: Information on the number of individuals who benefit from the grant is not available centrally. However, every local authority area in Scotland has benefited from the £20 million used to support around 400 projects and initiatives in each year over the period. These include a range of mental health services such as day centres, home care support, arts and education projects, carers support and advocacy.

Mental Health

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide 70% of the costs of mental health specific grants.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to support and provide mental health specific grants.

Shona Robison: The Mental Health Specific Grant scheme will be considered along with all health spend during Spending Review 2007.

Rape

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of rape cases resulted in a conviction in the last year for which information is available.

Kenny MacAskill: The available statistics on recorded crime and court proceedings cannot be combined in a meaningful way to derive a percentage rate of conviction for a number of reasons. The recorded crime figures are derived from aggregate data and it is not therefore possible to track through the number of these cases which result in a conviction. A person may also be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim, and there is the possibility that the crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings. A crime may be recorded in one year and proceedings taken in a subsequent year.

Rape

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rate of conviction for rape cases was in each of the eight parliamentary regions in the last year for which information is available.

Kenny MacAskill: The available statistics on recorded crime and court proceedings cannot be combined in a meaningful way to derive rates of conviction for a number of reasons. The recorded crime figures are collected in the form of aggregate data and it is not therefore possible to track through which of these cases result in a conviction. A person may also be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim, and there is the possibility that the crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings. A crime may be recorded in one year and proceedings taken in a subsequent year.

Rape

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of work undertaken by family protection units is committed to rape and sexual assault.

Kenny MacAskill: Every Scottish force has specialist officers dedicated to the investigation of sexual offences. The allocation of duties within family protection units is a matter for individual chief constables.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have met the Scottish Qualifications Authority since June 2007.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list and give the dates of all meetings between ministers and the Scottish Qualifications Authority since 17 May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: The Minister for Schools and Skills and the Minister for Children and Early Years both attended a stakeholders event on 18 June 2007 at which the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) was represented. I visited the SQA’s office in Glasgow on 6 August 2007 and on 27 August 2007 met with the Chair and the Chief Executive.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support further academic research into sectarianism in Scotland.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that academic research can make in helping to develop work to tackle sectarianism and religious intolerance. While we do not directly support academic research our own analytical services teams have commissioned a range of research projects in relation to religious intolerance – such as the analysis of religious aggravations under section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 – and I have asked my officials to consider what further research can usefully add to the development of work in this area.

Sexual Offences

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the evaluation of the provisions relating to sexual history and character evidence in the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2002.

Kenny MacAskill: We do not yet have a date for publication, but hope to publish shortly. A research briefing providing initial findings from the first phase of the evaluation was published in December 2006 and is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/12/SexualOffenceTrials .

Sexual Offences

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training is undertaken by police forces about rape and sexual assault.

Kenny MacAskill: Training in how to handle rape and sexual assault offences features as part of the initial training programme which all recruits to the police service must undertake on appointment. Specific courses on offer at the Scottish Police College also cover in depth training on these issues.

  In addition, in 2006 the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland established a Sexual Offences Working Group, which includes in its remit the co-ordination and assessment of training on rape and sexual offences on a national basis.

Teachers

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all meetings between the General Teaching Council and ministers specifically to discuss the employment of probationary teachers since 17 May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: I met with Matthew MacIver, Chief Executive/ Registrar of the General Teaching Council for Scotland on the 24 July 2007 and, amongst other issues, discussed with him progress in the teacher induction scheme and teacher employment.

Teachers

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many retired teachers have returned to work for local authorities as teachers in the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Maureen Watt: The information requested is not held centrally.